Moonlight in Paris
by Kristen3
Summary: Niles whisks Daphne away to Paris for a romantic vacation. But maybe there's more to life than that. Thanks to Melinda (samanddianefan10) for her help and encouragement! Rating is for SLIGHT innuendo. Now complete!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Thanks to Melinda (**samanddianefan10**) for encouraging me to use her experience for a story - and even giving me the setting! This story has obviously snowballed a bit, but I think it'll be worth it. :)

Niles looked at Daphne as they stepped off the plane. He loved the way her eyes danced with excitement. It made her even more beautiful than she already was, if that was even possible. That was why he'd wanted to bring her here. To Paris, the most romantic city in the world.

Of course, this wasn't Niles' first time visiting France. He had come here a lifetime ago, on his honeymoon with Maris. But thoughts of her were miles away. All that mattered right now was Daphne. He slipped his hand into hers, and they made their way to the baggage claim. Although there was no need to rush, they found themselves nearly running the whole way. They had two weeks to explore the city, and neither wanted to waste a moment of it.

In a matter of moments, they'd gotten their bags and picked up their rental car. They both felt breathless as they sat in the luxury vehicle. Even as they worked to catch their breath, the excitement hadn't dimmed for a moment. Daphne squeezed Niles' hand as if to say she couldn't believe this was really happening.

Niles quickly drove to the expensive hotel he'd picked out. It had taken countless Internet searches and phone calls to make sure he found _the _nicest hotel in the city. They intended to put their suitcases in the room before going out for a night of dinner and dancing. But when they saw the bed, both suddenly realized they actually were tired. It had been almost twenty-four hours ago now that they'd left three-year-old David with his beloved Grandpa and Grandma Ronee. In a matter of moments, they'd changed their plans. They chose to order room service, before turning in. Even as exhausted as they both were, they did manage to enjoy one another's company for a while before finally going to sleep.

When Daphne awoke the next morning, the thing that surprised her most was the quiet. There was no sound of little feet running in to wake her up. But then she remembered where they were, and she forced aside thoughts of her son at once. The sunrise in Paris was even more stunning than the view of the Space Needle she had grown accustomed to.

Niles woke a moment later. He could tell Daphne was mesmerized by the sight outside their window. Yet again, it reminded him of why this trip was so important. So much of Daphne's early life had been marked by poverty and difficulty. Now, his main goal in life was to give his wife everything she deserved and more. He gently slipped in beside her, kissing her cheek.

Daphne turned to him, smiling. "I used to be so amazed by the view from your brother's apartment, but this doesn't even compare!"

"I know," Niles said simply. "That's why I wanted you to see this. It's breathtaking. But not nearly as mesmerizing as what I'm looking at now."

Daphne rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. "That's just rubbish." She gave him a playful shove. "Well, now that we're both awake, I guess we should figure out how to spend our first official day here."

"All right. I'm sure you'd like to go sightseeing. There _is_ an awful lot to see here."

"That would be lovely. But aren't there quite a few art museums as well? We could go to one of those."

Niles' jaw hung open. He'd been sure she'd want to do almost anything else. "You want to go to a museum?!"

Daphne nodded. "If you don't mind. I mean, this whole trip _was_ your idea. It may not be my cup of tea, but I've lived with your brother long enough to know a thing or two."

Niles waited in silence for a moment, still wondering if she was kidding. When it was clear she wasn't, he said. "All right, then. That's what we'll do."

Daphne kissed him before starting to get ready for the day. She knew how Niles and his brother loved art. They could easily talk for hours about things she didn't understand. But she loved him enough that she didn't mind. It was a small price to pay for a trip that was sure to be memorable.


	2. Chapter 2

They visited several of Paris' finest art museums. While Daphne did not enjoy everything she saw, she did like hearing all of Niles' opinions on everything. When she offered her own thoughts, Niles did not make her feel stupid for her lack of knowledge. He was very patient in explaining each painting. Just hearing him talk gave her a greater appreciation for art than she'd ever had before.

When they'd had their fill of paintings and sculpture, Niles took Daphne shopping. He dutifully watched as she tried on one dress after another, giving his approval occasionally. She spent quite a bit of money, but Niles didn't care. Spoiling Daphne was exactly what this trip was about.

"Have I mentioned that I love you?" Daphne said, kissing him. She'd just bought yet another beautiful dress.

"Yes, but it so happens I never tire of hearing it." Niles laughed. Right now, Niles could tell that taking his wife to Paris had been the perfect idea. Though their relationship was more than solid, being here had made them feel even more romantic than usual. He managed to tear his attention from her to look at his watch. Of course, he'd set it to local time as soon as the plane had landed. It was now past dinner time. "Shall we get something to eat?"

Daphne nodded, feeling a thrill as she realized she and Niles would probably find Paris' most expensive restaurant. Even after several years of marriage, it still amazed her to have so much money.

In what seemed like only a matter of moments, they had a table at a very elegant restaurant. Niles was even able to impress the staff by speaking French.

"This is lovely," Daphne said, reaching across the table to take his hand.

"I'm glad. I want this trip to be everything you want and more."

She felt a bit of embarrassment at that. Niles was going a bit overboard, but she knew better than to protest. He'd spent many lonely years, wishing they could be together, and now they were. When she thought about it that way, it made a bit more sense.

Niles glanced at the menu and made his choice. He easily helped Daphne choose, knowing she was unaccustomed to this kind of food. When their dishes arrived, they quickly found that this restaurant's reputation was well-earned.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Daphne looked at Niles, sighing. "You know, when I first came to your brother's that day, I never would have dreamed I'd end up here. And with you!" She laughed, remembering that long-ago day when she'd answered Frasier's request for a home healthcare worker.

"I never dreamed I'd see the love of my life standing there, folding my brother's underwear, either." He winked at her, remembering their first meeting.

"When I think back to how I was back then, it's a wonder your brother didn't fire me!"

"I'll admit you weren't what any of us expected, but you were definitely what we needed."

Once again, Daphne felt herself blush. She looked around, almost hoping a waiter would come by, so that Niles would stop saying such things.

Niles sensed that he'd made her uncomfortable somehow. He returned his attention to his plate. They were quiet for a long moment, both enjoying their meals.

Daphne broke the silence by talking about the time she had helped Niles prepare for a date that didn't exist. One of the benefits of knowing each other for so long was that there was never a shortage of topics about which to reminisce. Before their relationship turned romantic, they had always enjoyed a close, comfortable friendship. Soon, they were both laughing. Daphne was glad Niles had stopped going on about her for once.

Eventually, they'd both just about cleaned their plates. A waiter suggested dessert, but neither wanted anything more. They did, however, each enjoy a cup of coffee. It was far better than anything Nervosa could ever hope to offer.

They left the restaurant, after Niles had paid the bill and left a handsome tip. When they went back outside, they realized they weren't that far from the Eiffel Tower. They walked toward it. The lights made the structure look even more impressive than usual.

When they got close to it, Niles pointed upward. "This is what I wanted you to see. It's amazing, isn't it?"

"Yes," Daphne agreed, kissing him. "This trip has been lovely."

Niles looked at her in confusion. "You're talking as if it's over. We've only been here for two days."

"I know," Daphne agreed. "And today was absolutely magical. But I don't really need to spend two weeks here."

Now Niles was truly dumbfounded. "What?! Do you have any idea how much this city has to offer?"

"Niles, please, don't get cross," she said. She could see his anger building. "I know you wanted me to see this place, and I love you for it. I've already seen more than I could have dreamed when I was a little girl. But I keep thinking about David."

"David is fine," Niles said. "In fact, he's probably having the time of his life with Dad and Ronee." David and his grandfather were best buddies. Even Ronee was fond of the toddler, though she tried to deny it.

"I know," Daphne admitted. "But I miss him. It's not the same, waking up and not hearing him running in."

Niles sighed. He knew in that moment that he was defeated. One of the things he'd always loved about Daphne was the way she cared for others. Of course that would include her little boy. "It's not going to be easy, changing our tickets and reservations."

"I'm sorry, Darling. I know you're disappointed, but I can't help it. I miss me little boy."

Niles thought of their sweet, energetic son. He never got to spend as much time with David as he liked. Maybe Daphne had a point. Paris would always be here, but a little boy would only be little for a very short time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Thanks to Leigh Ann (**leighann415**) for suggesting an idea to make this chapter even better! :)

Changing their airline tickets was a bit of a headache, but Niles was able to do it. He also canceled the hotel reservations and got a refund. The next morning, they boarded a flight back home. But, while they were at the airport, Niles did manage to stop into a souvenir shop to pick up a gift for their son. Daphne also made sure to pick up something for her father-in-law, to thank him and Ronee for babysitting, though she knew they didn't mind the inconvenience.

Daphne found herself feeling even more excited than she had been on the flight to Paris. It seemed she missed David more with each passing second. Motherhood had changed her, even more than she'd ever expected. It was hard to believe a little boy had so thoroughly stolen her heart. But her heart had already been stolen years before, by the man sitting next to her on the plane. She looked at Niles as he watched the clouds. He was probably thinking about work. Though he'd planned not to think about his patients for two weeks, Daphne knew they were never far from his mind. He was so dedicated. One more reason for her to love him.

In the window seat, Niles' thoughts were a thousand miles away. He did occasionally think of the files he needed to update when they got home, but mostly, his mind was on Daphne and their son. He should've realized she wouldn't want to spend two weeks away from David. He was so young, and it seemed that every day, he learned a new skill or added a word to his growing vocabulary. Niles was certainly proud of David's development, but it was Daphne who got excited each time. Many times, she called while Niles was in a session just to report the latest thing David did or said. He made a mental note to pay more attention to those calls. He didn't want to miss a moment of David's growing up.

But, then, Niles once again began thinking of his life with Daphne. Perhaps he'd been so eager to take this trip because he was still angry at himself for not telling her how he felt years ago. He'd been too cowardly to make his feelings known, even after Maris was out of the picture. There was no denying that if he'd said something sooner, they both could have avoided a lot of heartache and pain. With a sigh, Niles reminded himself that how he'd gotten to this point didn't matter. Daphne was his now, and there was no use in rehashing the past.

They both were lost in their thoughts and almost didn't notice when the plane landed in New York. They didn't have much time to make their connection back to Seattle. Traveling was exhausting, but it helped to know they'd soon be in their own bed. They were at least able to get a little rest on the way back to the west coast. They were both grateful when the pilot announced that they'd landed at Sea-Tac. From there, they quickly retrieved their bags (which were now several pounds heavier, thanks to the dresses). Then they picked up Niles' car and headed straight for Martin and Ronee's.

Daphne felt a rush of excitement as she pressed the doorbell. They heard Martin get up, with a muttered complaint about his hip. A minute later the door was opened. "What are you guys doing here? Is something wrong?"

"No, Dad, everything's fine. It's just that Daphne missed David."

At the sound of his name, the toddler raced toward them. "Mommy!"

Daphne could only sigh as a pair of little arms wrapped around her legs. "I missed you _so_ much!" David said, looking up at her.

"I missed you, too," Daphne said, bending to his height. She kissed his cheek. She knew she never wanted to leave him again.

Niles waited a moment, allowing Daphne to reunite with the little boy. When they'd finally broken apart, Niles reached into his pocket. "Look what I have for you."

David gasped loudly as he took the baseball from his father's hand. It had the word "Paris" written on it in large letters. "This is so cool!"

"I thought you'd like to have a baseball ball." Niles gave his father a teasing glance. "You and Grandpa can play with it sometime."

"Of course, we didn't forget you, old man." Daphne reached into one of their bags, looking for the package. She produced a small box. "Sorry we didn't have time to wrap it. I picked it up in the airport gift shop."

"Oh, Daph, you didn't have to get me anything." Martin gave his daughter-in-law an awkward hug.

Daphne shrugged, embarrassed. "Well, you always take such good care of David whenever we ask…"

"I'm his grandpa, that's what I'm supposed to do!" Martin laughed as he opened the box. Inside was a very fancy beer mug with a picture of the Eiffel Tower on it. "Wow, Ronee, look at this." He turned to his wife, who'd come to see who was at the door.

"You guys really didn't have to do that. David was hardly any trouble, except for the fact that he insists on calling me _Grandma_ for some reason." She rolled her eyes, pretending to be annoyed.

"To him, that's what you are," Martin said. "I think you better get used to it."

Ronee gave him a glance that told him he'd gone a bit too far, but everyone knew she wasn't nearly as angry as she let on. "I'm sure you guys are anxious to get home, but why don't you tell us about your trip?" Ronee let them enter.

Daphne left most of the bags on the porch and stepped into the house. She and Niles sat on the couch in the living room. After they'd described their time spent shopping and enjoying Paris' finest art, David told his parents how he'd watched all of the _Cars_ movies three times _and_ got a happy meal at McDonald's for dinner. Just as Niles had predicted, David had clearly been spoiled by his grandparents.

Soon, hugs and goodbyes were exchanged. Daphne apologized profusely for coming back early and ending their time with David. But Ronee assured them they didn't mind, which left little doubt as to what she was thinking.

On the way home, Daphne glanced at the backseat, where David lay sound asleep. Though she'd loved everything she saw and did in Paris, she knew there was nothing in the world that could ever compare to what she had right here.

** The End**


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